3. “Ahab, give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your strongest sons!”
4. “Your Majesty,” Ahab replied, “everything I have is yours, including me.”
5. Later, Benhadad sent another messenger to say to Ahab, “I have already told you to give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your children.
6. But tomorrow at this time, I will send my officials into your city to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take everything else that you own.”
7. Ahab called a meeting with the leaders of Israel and said, “Benhadad is causing real trouble. He told me to give him my wives and children, as well as my silver and gold. And I agreed.”
8. “Don't listen to him!” they answered. “You don't have to do what he says.”
9. So Ahab sent someone to tell Benhadad, “Your Majesty, I'll give you my silver and gold, and even my wives and children. But I won't let you have anything else.”When Benhadad got his answer,
10. he replied, “I'll completely destroy Samaria! There won't even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don't do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly.”
11. Ahab then answered, “Benhadad, don't boast before the fighting even begins. Wait and see if you live through it.”
12. Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab's reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready.
13. At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, “You can see that Benhadad's army is very strong. But the Lord has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”
14. “Who will fight the battle?” Ahab asked.The prophet answered, “The young bodyguards who serve the district officials.”“But who will lead them into battle?” Ahab asked.“You will!” the prophet replied.
15. So Ahab called together the two hundred and thirty-two young soldiers and the seven thousand troops in Israel's army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.
16-17. At midday, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front.King Benhadad of Syria and the thirty-two kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, “We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!”
18. “Take them alive!” Benhadad ordered. “I don't care if they have come out to fight or to surrender.”
19. The young soldiers led Israel's troops into battle,
20. and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses,
21. but Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured their horses and chariots.Ahab and Israel's army crushed the Syrians.
22. Later, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, “Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans.”
23. Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained:Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose.
24. Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places.